Core element.



No. 787,451. PATBNTED APR. 18, 1905. B.. G. JAMES.

GOEE ELEMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17. 1904.

4mi2-1m feg,

l, ing/E! 79025 Morrf/eg UNITED STATES Patented April 1s, 190%.

PATENT OFFICE..

ROSWELL GEORGE JAMES, OE LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO AMERICUS F. CALLAHAN, OE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CORE ELEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,451, dated April 18, 1905. Application filed June 17, 1904- Selial No. 213,045-

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that LRoswELL GEORGE JAMES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Core Elements, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being' had to the accompanying d rawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to cores used in casting' pipes and cylinders, and has for its object the provision of an improved core which may be more readily and cheaply formed and very effectively used.

For years it has been customary to wrap hay or straw about a core-bar, and upon this foundation a coating of plastic loam was placed, which coating being' dried constituted the casting-surface to form and define the inner surface of the casting, whereby the core is formed in part of inflammable material that is not initially subject to the consuming heat of the casting, but to which said consuming heat finds its way through the outer coating of loam after the poured metal has been sufficiently solidified to maintain its set, whereafter the core-bar may be readily withdrawn and the pipe removed from its mold, the combustible material having been sufficiently consumed by the heat to permit the release of the core-bar. To those skilled in the art it is obvious that many disadvantages are attendant upon the use of this core and the Way of producing it. Among the objections yto this practice may be mentioned the cost of producing the cores and the difculty of forming the layer initially superimposed upon the core-bar with sufficient rigidity to act as a proper foundation for the envelop of loam.

In my copcnding application, Serial No. 177,633, filed October 19, 1903, for a patent upon improvement in core elements I have broadly claimed a core element comprising a loose layer of material held in place by a container about which there was disposed a coating of refractory material, whereby the entire core element thus formed was readily adapted for use 1n casting pipes, cylinders, &c. In

my said copending application I have disclosed the use of comminuted combustible material, such as sawdust, and in said application I have also disclosed the use of perforated and hollow core-bars, whereby the gases generated could find ready exit, these perforations being very desirable on account of the gas that is generated in the destruction of the sawdust. In the practice followed prior to the invention disclosed in my said copending application hollow perforated core-bars were also used to permit the escape of gases, including those arising upon the destruction of the hay. My present invention is an improvement upon the specific embodiment of the broad invention disclosed in my said copending application as one way of practicing the said broad invention, and by means of my present invention there is provided a core element which need not, and preferably does not, have its core-bar perforated. Aside from this advantage that is gained by my present invention there is also gained the Very important advantage of a structure wherein component parts in addition to the core-bar may be repeatedly used, these component parts being the substance of which the loose layer is composed.

In accordance with'my invention I form the core element of a core-bar, a loose layer of material surrounding the same, and acontainer holding the loose layer upon the core-bar, this material forming the loose layer being substantially indestructible by the heat occurring in the castingof the pipe, so that it itself will not be a gas-producing ingredient and so that it may again be used in making core elements.

As the use of such a substance enables me todispense with perforated core-bars, the cost of the construction of the core-bars is thereby materially reduced, and as the material forming the loose layer may be repeatedly used my present invention is of particular advantage where comminuted combustible material is difficult or expensive to secure and' iu cases is undesirable to use. There are therefore two important advantages in my present invention, the latter one mentioned being of utility whether the core-bar is perforated or not, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited in all embodiments of my present invention tol a perforated or an unperforated core-bar.

In prior practice it has been the custom to provide a composite layer or coating of plastic loam about thelayer initially provided upon the core-bar, which composite coating has usually been made in two distinct steps, one portion of the coating having been first put into position and baked, whereafter the second portion was superimposed upon the first and also baked. The first section of the coating has been of approximately pure clay, because the second section would readily adhere thereto, this adherence being' promoted by cracks formed in the first section in the baking operation. The second section of the layer has usually been composed of twentyfive per cent., by bulk, of clay and seventy-fi ve per cent. of sand, which mixture is selected because in its baking' it would not crack, and as it permits a smooth exterior surface to define the inner surface of' /the pipe to be cast I am enabled to dispense with the pure clay and to form the layer of refractory material or plastic loam in a single operation and make it homogeneous throughout and am also enabled to use the preferred substance, a mechanical mixture of clay and sand, (twenty-five per cent., by bulk, of clay and seventy-five per cent. of sand,) by providing` a base or anchorage for this substance which will permit the said substance mechanically to unite with the base when first applied, which mechanical union will be preserved during the baking process. This foundation or base may reside in a coating having projections extending therefrom and into the loam, which coating is preferably of fibrous material and which projections are preferably the free ends of fibers extending from and forming part of the fibrous material. Where a loose layer of material is employed, this coating of fibrous material is preferably the container that holds the loose layer in place. In some instances I have employed cheese-cloth with large interstices, so that considerable lengths of fiber would be afforded, which would coperate with the projecting' fibers in holding the homogeneous layer of refractory material 4in position. As is understood to those skilled in this art, the time consumed in making' cores is largely spent in the formation of the layers and the baking thereof. By means of my invention one distinct step, including a baking operation, is eliminated, thereby greatly cheapening the cost of the cores and the manufacture of pipe. rIhe container being preferably combustible, when included as a part of' the complete core the exterior coating of refractory material will maintain the sameintact until the cast metal has sufficiently solidified to assume a set, because the said coating of refractory material is of such a thickness as to prevent consuming heat from reaching the container until the solidification of the metal has taken place. I/Vhen the solidification has taken place, however, and the heat has reached the containerin sufhcient degree to consume the same, said container will not withstand this heat for any appreciable length of time,

but will give way very quickly, so that the loose layer or layer of comminuted material, whose particles are loose with respect to each other. will at once lose its support, which is the container, permitting the core-bar to be withdrawn, whereafter the coating of refractory material may be broken and removed from the bore of the pipe. The container is preferably of ribbon-like formation and may he disposed upon a reel, and the layer of comminuted material may be provided by pouring said material upon the ribbon as it isbeing passed to the core-bar, a spiral wrapping being thus provided about the loose layer that secures the said layer with great firmness and rigidity upon the core-bar to act as a sufficient support for the added layer of refractory material or loam, yet which is readily sufficiently destructible after the molten metal is poured about the core thus formed to permit the core-bar to be withdrawn.

I will explain one embodiment of my invention by reference to the accompanying drawings and will point out the invention in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is an end view, somewhat diagrammatic in nature, showing one type of apparatus that may be employed in making the improved core. Fig. 2 is a view taken in direction of arrow 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view illustrating a core-bar with the coverings thereon, .formed in accordance with the invention, indicated in section, a mold and plastic layer in section being shown in disposition about the composite core element. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, of a longitudinal portion of the core. Fig. 5 is an end section, on an enlarged scale, of the core constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing an incorporation of the layer of plastic loam and the fibrous support therefor.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures.

In the drawings I have illustrated one of many types of mechanism that may be employed in carrying out the invention.

In the apparatus illustrated there is provided a pair of stationarily-disposed journals 1 and 2, in which the core-bar 3, of any preferred form, may be temporarily disposed for the purpose of superimposing thereon the annular layer of loose or comminuted incombustible material. The journal l has a displaceable cap 4, which when out of position will permit of the insertion of the core-bar shaft 5 within a recess in the hub 6 of the IOO IIO

driv ingpulley 7, fixed connection betweenlo the said hub and shaft being desirably effected by means of a set-screw 8. On either side and parallel with the axis of rotation of the core-bar are located stringers 9, supporting rails 10, upon Which Wheels 11 may run, these wheels being journaled upon bearings 12, projecting downwardly from aplatform 13. This platform 13 is for the sake of clearness of illustration shown considerably above the core-bar 3 and is provided with pillow-blocks 14, affording bearings for the shaft of the reel 15, the said reel carrying the suitable sheet material, as cheese-cloth 15 or other fabric, that is to constitute the container for the loose or comminuted incombustible material. In the preferred Way of forming the core the container is preferably of sheet material and is desirably in the form of a ribbon of suitable Width, which is drawn onto the core-bar upon the rotation of the said corebar, the ribbon being anchored to the corebar to secure its initial engagement therewith and to force its removal from the reel. rlhe ribbon is desirably led over a guidingidler 16, which is mounted upon suitable hangers 17, depending from the lower side of the platform. These hangers are preferably made in separate sections, slots 18 being desirably formed in one section, through which clamping-bolts may be passed. In order that the ribbon may be Wound upon the corebar with sufficient tightness, I apply to the shaft of the reel some brakingappliance,l as the friction spring-finger 1 9. The platform or carrier 13 also desirably supports a chute 20, Whose discharge-opening is desirably located very near the core-bar. chute is desirably rotatably mounted upon a shaft 20', to which an arm 202 is rigidly secured, this arm being arranged in cooperativev relation with a segment 203, concentric with the shaft and mounted upon the platform, the arm having' 'a clamping set-screw 204, for securing it in engagement with any selected portion of the segment to maintain any adjustment Jthat has been efected, thereby determining the elevation of the mouth of the chute above the container as it advances to the core-bar. The material within the chute may be agitated by a poker or otherwise. The material that is to form the comminuted or loose layer 2O5 of the core, such as sand, is fed through the chute onto the ribbon as it is advanced upon the corebar. The thickness of this comminuted or loose layer may be regulated by the rate of flow of theloose or comminuted incombustible material upon the ribbon. The platform is advanced at a rate desirably having a fixed ratio to the speed of rotation of the core-bar, so that the ribbon is spirally Wound upon the core-bar at a uniform pitch throughout, each spiral turn of the ribbon overlapping the previously-formed spiral, so as to eliminate interstices in the container through which the loose or comminuted incombustible material The hopper or' might issue. The chute by being mounted upon the same platform with the reel obviously has its spout immediately over the portion of the ribbon that is about to be Wound upon the core-bar, so that the loose or com- I minuted incornbustible material is effectively disposed between the container and the corebar. Obviously other means than those illustrated may be employed for carrying out the general purpose of the mechanism shown, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the precise apparatus illustrated. j After the container has been placed about the core-bar the free end thereof may be suitably anchored in place, as by means of glue or string, to maintain the incombustible layer intact. The container preferably has projections or fibers 21 extending therefrom and desirably also has its fibers 22 define interstices in the container, about Which fibers 22 and about which fibers 21 the layer or envelop 23 of plastic loam, desirably composed of clay and sand in the proportions stated hitherto, is disposed and to Which said layer clings. The anchorage afforded by the elements 21 and 22 is sufficient to hold the single layer of one homogeneous substance 23 in position While the said layer is being baked, Which layer may be baked Without injuring the surface that is to be presented to the poured metal. By this vconstruction and arrangement but a single layer of homogeneous material need be formed, necessitating but a single baking operation. After the composite core is produced it is placed within a mold 24, provided in a flask 25, in accordance with well-known practice in the art, after the usual coating of plumbago or pipe facing has been placed upon the core. After the molten metal has been poured into the space between my improved composite core and the mold said metal first sets, the outer layer of plastic loam being' sufliciently a non-conductor of heat to prevent the heat from the hot metal from immediately penetrating' in suflicient degree to the container to cause its disintegration by burning. Thislayerofplasticloam,however, will ultimately permit the passage of heat to the container in sufficient degree to disintegrate the same, but not until the metal has suliciently set. After the container has been disintegrated the core-bar may be Withdrawn and again used, and the incombustible loose material, as sand, may also again be used for its original purpose, said material having been released by the container when burned by the heat radiating' from the freshly-cast pipe. Sand is the preferred form of comminuted material, whose particles are loose with respect to each other.

I use the term "loose layer of material in the sense of material that Will not itself stay upon the core-bar when initially applied, butwhich requires a container to hold the same upon the core-bar when first applied.

IOO

IIO

I do not Wish to be limited to the precise embodiment of my invention herein shown and particularly described, as such embodiment may be modiiied Without departing from the spirit of the invention; but,

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentm 1. A casting core element comprisinga corebar, a loose layer of incombustible material surrounding the same, a container of combustible material holding the said layer in place upon the core-bar, and a coating of refractory material surrounding the container, substantially as described.

2. Acasting core element comprisingacorebar, a loose layer of incombustible material surrounding the same, a container holding the said layer in place upon the core-bar, and a coating of refractory material about the container, substantially as described.

3. Acasting core elementcomprisingacorebar, a layer of comminuted incombustible material, whose particles are loose with respect to each other, surrounding the same, a container of combustible material holding the said layer in place about the core-bar, and a coating of refractory material about said layer, substantially as described.

4. Acastingcore elementcomprisingacorebar, a layer of comminuted incombustible material, Whose particles are loose with respect to each other, surrounding the same, a container holding the said layer in place about the core-bar, and a coating of refractory material about said layer, substantially as described.

5. Acastingcoreelementcomprisingacorebar, a loose layer of incombustible material surrounding' the same, a exible container holding the said layer in place upon the corebar, and a coating of refractory material about the container,substantially as described.

6. Acastingcoreelementcomprisingacorebar, a layer of comminuted incombustible material, whose particles are loose with respect to each other, surrounding' the same, a flexible container holding the said layer in place about the core-bar, and a coating of refractory material about said layer, substantially as described.

7. Acastingcoreelementcomprisingacorebar, a loose layer of incombustible material surrounding the same, a ribbon-like container of combustible material holding the said layer in place upon the core-bar, and a coating of refractory material surroundingthe container, substantially as described.

8. A casting core elementcomprising a corebar, a loose layer of incombustible material surrounding the same, a ribbon-like container holding the said layer in place upon the corebar, and acoating of refractory material about the container, substantially as described.

9. A casting core element comprising a corebar, a layer of comminuted incombustible material, Whose particles are loose with respect to each other, surrounding the same, a ribbon-like container of combustible material holding the said layer inplace about the corebar, substantially as described.

10. A casting core element comprising a core-bar,a layer of comminuted'incombustible material, Whose particles are loose with respect to each other, surrounding the same, a ribbon-like container holding the said layer in place about the core-bar, and a coating of refractory material about said layer, substantially as described. f v

11. A casting core element comprising a core-bar, a loose layer of incombustible material surrounding the same, a iieXible ribbon- 8O like container holding the said layer in place' upon the core-bar, and a coating of refractoryA material about the container, substantially as described. v

12. A casting core element comprising a 35 core-bar,a layer of comminuted incombustible material, Whose particles are loose With respect to each other, surrounding the same, a flexible ribbon-like container holding the said layer in place about the core-bar, and a coating of refractory material about said layer, Substantially as described.

13. A casting core element comprising a core-bar, a loose layer of incombustible material surrounding the same, a spirally-Wrapped ribbon-like container of combustible material holding the said layer in place upon the corebar, and a coating of refractory material surrounding the container, substantially as described. y

14. A casting core element comprising a core-bar, a loose layer of incombustible material surrounding the same, aspirally-wrapped ribbon-like container holding the said layer in place upon the core-bar, and a coating of IOS refractory material about the container, substantially as described.

15. A casting core element comprising a core-bar,a layer of comminu ted incombustible material, Whose particles are loose with re-.IIO`

spect to each other, surrounding the same, a spirally-wrapped ribbon -lilce container of combustible material holding the said layer in place about the core-bar, substantially as described. n

16. A casting core element comprising a core-bar,a layer of comminuted incombustible material, Whose particles are loose with respect to cach other, surrounding the same, a spirally-wrapped ribbon-like container holding the said layer in place about thecore-bar, and a coating of refractory material about said layer, substantially as described.

17. A casting core element comprising a core-bar, a loose layer of incombustible material surrounding the same, a spirally-wrapped flexible ribbon-like container holding the said layer in place upon the core-bar, and a coat- IIS ing` ofrefractory material about the container, terial about said layer, substantially as de- -IO substantially as described. scribed.

18. A casting core element comprising a In Witness WhereofIhereunto subscribemy corebar,a1ayer of comminuted incombustible name this 8th day of June, A. D. 1904. material, Whose particles are loose with rea a 1 spect to each other, surrounding` the same, a ROSWELL GEORGE JAMEb spirally- Wrapped flexible ribbon -like con- Witnesses: tainer holding the said layer in place about R. W. BINGHAM, the core-bar, and a coating; of refractory ma- M. F. PRICE. 

